Rules of the Game…

An Overview

Bob Mount

Chair of Officials, CITA

May 7, 2011

Agenda

• 2011 Significant Rule Changes

• The Code – Players’ Guide for matches when officials are not present

• Common Rules Questions / Mistakes

• Procedures

– Tie Breaks

– Changeovers

• Questions from the captains

2011 Significant Rule Changes

• Correction of Out Calls

– You now lose the point

• Cell Phone Interruptions

– During Point – Opponent may claim point

based on hindrance

– Between Points – Treated as time violation

• Code 16 removed – “Are you sure?” can

now be anything

2011 Rule Changes (continued)

• On the first point of a set or match tie-

break in a doubles match, both players

may not line up on the deuce side of the

court

The Code – Warm-up

• Codes 3 & 4 define Warm-up

– Warm-up is NOT practice

– If a player refuses to warm up with opponent,

the player loses the right to warm up

– Players should make a special effort to return

the ball to their opponent

– Warm-up serves should be returned at a

moderate pace (if returned)

The Code – Making Calls

• Player makes call on own side of net

• Opponent gets benefit of doubt

– A ball that cannot be called out is good

– A ball that is 99% out is 100% good

• A player may (and should) call his own

shot out

– Except first serve

• Opponent wins point on reversed out call

Making Calls (continued)

• If you request the help of an opponent on

a call, the opponent’s decision must be

honored

• Calls must be prompt (to eliminate second

chance situations)

• Let calls must be immediate after a ball

rolls on the court

Making Calls (continued)

• Players makes the following calls on

themselves

– Ball touches player

– Player touches net or opponent’s court

– Player hits ball before it crosses the net

– Player deliberately carries or double hits

– Ball bounces more than once (not up)

• The opponent may not make these calls

Making Calls (continued)

• The player(s) that the ball is going toward

make the following calls

– Balls hit through the net

– “Foul” hits – when the ball comes off the

opponent’s racket and the ball hits the ground

before crossing the net

– Balls that hit a permanent fixture

• i.e. ceiling, umpire chair, score cards, etc.

The Code - Serving

• Receiver shall play to the reasonable pace

of the server

• When the second service motion is

interrupted by a let, the server is entitled to

a first serve

• A ball rolling on the court between first and

second serve does not normally require a

first serve

Serving – (continued)

• Foot faults – the receiver (or receiver’s

partner) may call a foot fault only after

– The server has been warned at least once

– A request for an official has failed

– The foot fault is flagrant and unquestionable

from the receiver’s side

• i.e. the foot touching the court inside the line fits

this definition

The Code - Scoring

• Code 30 – The server shall call the score

before each point

• Scoring dispute resolution shall follow

these three methods

– Replay only the point(s)/game(s) that are

disputed

– Play from a score mutually agreeable

– Toss a coin or spin a racket

Other Issues Raised

• Use of score cards (when to change)

– Preferred method is to change only at

changeover

– True for both games and tie-break score

• Toilet breaks

– USTA says that all legitimate requests should

be honored

– Reasonable time is allowed

Other Issues (continued)

• Injury time outs

– Anyone identified by the player may treat

– Needed supplies should be available before

treatment begins

– Treatment time limited to three minutes

– No evaluation time unless trainer is present

– Only one injury time out per injury

Other Issues (continued)

• Bleeding Time Out

– Fifteen minutes of treatment allowed

– Only one bleeding time out per location

• Nose is one location

• Elbow and knee are different locations

Other Issues (continued)

• Hindrance

– A player may move during the opponent’s service motion

– Any movement that is done just to distract the opponent is a hindrance

– The receiver’s partner may take a position in the service box

– A let may not be called on a hindrance caused but the player/team calling the let

Procedures – Tie-Breaks

• Set Tie-Break (called both 7 point and 12

point tie-break)

– First player/team to 7 and ahead by two wins

the set

– Service order continues from set

– Receiver side continues from set

– Coman format is used

Tie-Breaks (continued)

• Match Tie-Break (used in lieu of third set)

– Treated like a new set

• Either player in doubles team may serve first

– First player/team to 10 and ahead by two wins

the match

– Coman format is used

Coman Procedure

• Same service rotation as a standard tie-

break procedure

– First point from the deuce side, then two

points served in service rotation starting at the

add side

• Change ends after the first point, and then

after every four points (i.e. after points 1,

5, 9, 13, 17, 21, etc)

Changeovers

• The first changeover (after the first game)

in a set is a “walkthrough”

– A quick towel off and a quick drink are

allowed

• Other changeovers (after odd number of

games have been played) are 90 seconds,

where “time” would have been called at 60

seconds

Changeovers (continued)

• Set break is two minutes (time called at 90

seconds)

• Both changeovers and set breaks are

allowed (and expected)

• The time limits are reasonable and should

not be abused

QUESTIONS?

Hopefully we will have time to

answer any and all that you may

have.

Bonus Question

• Define the procedure for setting the net at

the proper tension.

• What is the length of the court?

• What is the width of the doubles court?

• What is the width of the singles court?